The speed of light is 186,282 miles per SECOND. That means in one second you could travel the circumference of the planet earth (24,901 miles) 7.5 times. In one second. That's crazy.

Yeah, and there'd be time dilation, as steveo alluded to. I'm not sure of the math, but imagine orbiting Earth at the speed of light for a few weeks. Years would have passed on Earth, but for you it has only been a few weeks.

This is basically what makes long-distance space travel impractical. If we were able to travel the speed of light, it'd still take a lifetime to reach the nearest galaxy. All the while, time would be passing much quicker on Earth. So, if it takes 75 years at the speed of light to reach Andromeda, thousands of years could be passing on Earth during your voyage. Hell, the human race could become extinct before you even reached your destination. Warp drive is the only way!

__________________ To succeed in the world it is not enough to be stupid, you must also be well-mannered.

Don't get me wrong, it's absolutely astounding how massive space is, and the fact that those are galaxies is just staggering. I guess I was just horribly depressed when I found out space isn't as pretty as I thought!

I took a cosmology class for an elective, the stuff we learned was mind blowing. Definitely fun if anyone else is looking for a sweet non-lab science!

Yeah, and there'd be time dilation, as steveo alluded to. I'm not sure of the math, but imagine orbiting Earth at the speed of light for a few weeks. Years would have passed on Earth, but for you it has only been a few weeks.

This is basically what makes long-distance space travel impractical. If we were able to travel the speed of light, it'd still take a lifetime to reach the nearest galaxy. All the while, time would be passing much quicker on Earth. So, if it takes 75 years at the speed of light to reach Andromeda, thousands of years could be passing on Earth during your voyage. Hell, the human race could become extinct before you even reached your destination. Warp drive is the only way!

It's what also makes it highly unlikely that if there were life outside of earth (civilized life) that we could ever communicate with them. Because they're either way way way ahead of us, or us of them.

__________________You're So Vain...You Probably Think This Sig Is About You

But the Vulcans are watching us, and preparing us through Star Trek and other shows, preparing us for the day they introduce our leaders to Warp Technology. I only hope we are a level 3 civilization (or whatever it was Saden linked to the other day) when they show us the way!

I just hope we are not along an interstellar highway. Otherwise, one day spaceships may descend through the clouds and announce:

"This is Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz of the Galactic Hyperspace Planning Counci. As you will no doubt be aware, the plans for development of the outlying regions of the Galaxy require the building of a hyperspatial express route through your star system, and regrettably your planet is one of those scheduled for demolition. The process will take slightly less that two of your Earth minutes. Thank you."

Seriously, not only is it impossible to imagine the vastness and timelessness of space, think of this: In all of that enormity, there is only one being exactly like you.